Luke 23:32-43
From Criminal to Paradise
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
John 20:24-29
St. Thomas Turns Doubt to Joy and Belief
24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
When I have days that I feel that my Holy Spirit that Jesus has sent me has left me, I usually feel some sadness on those days...I turn to two different authors...I turn to two very different gospel stories...I turn to two different men of very different backgrounds...One man is a criminal and the other one is one of the Twelve -and one who will become one of our Great Saints...One being punished for a crime, and is a criminal...The other man is one of Jesus' hand picked disciples, (many people, including me), who would think would always be faithful and have a strong faith...But Thomas is a man and has his own personal doubts...
The criminal, as I have read St. Luke, has never met Jesus, but he seems to have heard about Him...He has taken the path in life that leads to destruction and his fate has taken him to a cross...St. Thomas, on the other hand, has not only met Jesus, he has been taught by Jesus, since His ministry began...One has had no time with our Savior and LORD, and the other has had as much time as anyone with Him could have had...Thomas even after all the great teachings, and seeing all the great miracles -still does not believe His Master and Teacher has resurrected from the dead...It will take one more miracle for Him to finally believe...The other man, a criminal, has had no time with Jesus...The criminal has not heard His great teachings, or His parables, or seen His grand miracles...Yet, He seems to have faith in One he has never met...It seems that the criminal must have heard about Jesus, because he defends Him...He rebukes the other criminal who is hurling insults at the Messiah...The "good" criminal tells the other one to pipe down, we are going to get what we have coming to us, but this Man has done nothing wrong...And then he asks the other criminal don't you fear God, right before your death?...
One man, a "good" student doubts (his Teacher) even after all he has heard and seen from our LORD...Another man, the "good" criminal defends our LORD, after only being acquainted with Him that very day, and of all places to meet on crosses...Both Thomas and the criminal are rewarded...Thomas gets to put his fingers and hands into our LORD's glorious wounds...He now sees, actually feels, and believes Jesus is his LORD and God...The criminal defends Jesus and gets to go to Paradise with Him that very day of His death -just right after meeting Him...
The reason I turn to these verses are not only because of the two varying stories that are uniquely different...I see both faith and doubt in Thomas (after he has been with Jesus for much time) -and I relate to that...I see these two men, with two different backgrounds, getting closer to their LORD...I see the forgiving Savior -helping all that believe in Him, when He helps the criminal (after he has been with Him for almost no time)...But the main reason, I turn to these verses is because of the One Man...He loves us when we doubt Him, and He loves us even knowing we have sinned and will sin again...He loves us when we have faith, He Loves us when we doubt, and He Loves us when we do bad things...He is so forgiving...As St. John so rightfully writes, He is the One full of grace and truth (John 1:14)...I see from these stories His Love for us, even on my doubting and sad days...How great thou art...